I saw two primo William Amblers (sp?) for sale today at our monthly culture class. They were provided by Floradise Orchids of Gordonsville, VA along with some other nicely grown plants.

Anyway, the William Amblers each had two blooms open and 3 more buds to go! Each had a large secondary growth and were in beautiful condition. Each was priced at $75. Not bad for a blooming plant that you seldom see for sale, much less in bloom on primo plants!!!

I've seen a lot of multi florals around that price lately. The last couple shows I went to everything was either $50 or $75. WA and Susan Booth the former, Mercatellis, Toni Semples, Berenice all it that range as well. However, only a couple of them would I call "primo". I'm getting pickier, I guess in my growing/choosing. A year ago I would have snapped some of these up, just seeing them in person, kind of puts one over the edge. Now though, it has to look a bit more like Pete's freak of a warsce. (I hope!) to spend that much. Last fall I got a (definitely primo) Lebaudyanum, 8 growths, in bloom, for $30! That was a heck of a bargain, and it is in sheath again now.

Maybe this thread should be, what's your best bargain slipper?

$75 for a nice multifloral Paph in bloom is not uncommon and I have seen them at around $100+, especially the not so commonly available plants.

I have been growing and buying multiflorals for a number of years to sell and $75 bucks for a plant that is multigrowth and in blooms means some one is getting $10 a year to grow the thing. I am in the green house business and $10 a year might pay for heat and supplies but not labor.Orchids are my least profitable crop with the slowest payback and greatest outlay If I had my way the price should be going up as the breeding gets better, not down as it seems to the trend in the orchid industry. Now tissue cultured phals oncd.etc plants are another issue in as little as 18 months or less they go from flask to the sales bench. One piece of advice that has been given to me by many of the countries top growers is "If you want to end up making a million dollars selling orchids, start with 2 million!" Though I love a good bargain myself.Support orchid growers by paying a fair price.
Rob

Woah!
I didn't mean to suggest I was more interested in inexpensive plants. Just that I was surprised that some vendors out there sold large and robust specimen multiflorals at such prices. Shocked even. I have absolutely no qualms about purchasing a well bred plant, even a seedling for a 5 digit price. However, I am getting rather picky, and wouldn't pay $75 for a Mercatelli w/ only one growth and one bloom. (I'll add here but probably shouldn't - from a vendor I'm not so certain of.) I'd pay over $100 for a large, BS supardii though, no questions asked. Depends on the plant, rareity, size, flowers, reputation, species vs. hybrid, etc.

Its' all subjective, of course!!